Creating A Disciple Making-Coaching Culture
You want to see people accept the Lordship of Christ and be transformed by the love of God. Disciple making is your heart and you work at it faithfully, but you aren’t seeing results. Fusing disciple making and coaching into your ministry.

Written By CCT Team

Robert E Logan and Gary Reinecke Christian Coaching Tools Co-Founders.

When Gallup announced that, for the first time in history, less than half of Americans belong to a religious organization (March, 2020), you may have felt a little affirmed. Our culture has changed. It’s not just you—disciple making is officially an uphill battle! 

We Need a New Normal

With stats like that it is clear that the evangelism and discipleship strategies of the past—or even today—are not working. 

Normally, I see leaders focus their ministry on disciple making or coaching. Disciple making alone can become linear and the outward focus, while essential to ministry, can neglect personal callings and growth. Coaching alone can result in an inward ministry focus that neglects the Great Commission. Together, however, they provide a balanced ministry. Fusing disciple making and coaching is a recipe for multiplication, effectively growing the Church and the people that make up the Church. For this reason, Christian Coaching Tools is committed to creating disciple making coaching cultures. 

Disciple Making Coaching Fusion

I (Gary) recently led a two-pronged training process combining Disciple Making Movements (DMM) with coaching in the Philippines, India, Turkey, Hong Kong, Spain, and the US,.  Each event lasted 5 days with the morning dedicated to DMM and afternoons focused on coach training.  Participants were forced to live in the tension of learning the technical side of DMM utilizing Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) in combination with the relational side of coaching.

Why this approach?  

In talking to other organizations that have implemented DMM training, each and every group has said they should have taught coaching principles in coordination with DMM. 

Coaching skills are critical to successful multiplication of disciples. Why? Simply put, great coaches help people feel seen and heard. Coaching meets individuals where they are at, considers their circumstances and helps them discern the next best step for them, and encourages them as they take those steps. It is a powerful process for empowerment to living into God-given purpose.

Directive Coaching for Disciple Making

Typically, I present coaching as a non-directive process; however, in this training approach the “content” is assumed to be the Bible in the context of a DBS.  Further, when a person is ready to reproduce a DBS into the second and third generation, the focus of the coaching relationship shifts to leader development.  Through this process, churches are planted with coaching embedded in the DNA.

disciple making coaching culture keys

3 Keys to Fusing Disciple Making and Coaching

Here are three lessons I’ve learned while working to create disciple making – coaching cultures:

1. Synergy:

Utilize practitioners from each discipline to maximize the strengths of both systems. Allow opportunities for each discipline to demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses.  Build on the similarities. 

2. Progression

Explain how the two disciplines are distinct, then show how they complement one another.  Build-in a coach approach from the beginning and reproduction will happen organically. Growth by addition will get you started but growth through reproduction grows exponentially.

3. Structural Tension: 

Allow participants to live in the tension of making disciples AND coaching leaders to reproduce. The goal is to build appreciation for both worlds and highlight how they offer a more complete and effective ministry when they work in cooperation.  Lean into the tension and go slow at first so you can grow faster, later.

Coaching to Develop Problem Solving Skills

Your clients come to you because they are stuck and need help moving forward. Often, because you are experienced and have the benefit of objectivity, you can pinpoint the problem and have a good idea where the solution lies. It’s tempting just to provide that help, knowing that clients will find it helpful. 

22 Questions to Ask the Mid-Sized Church

On the surface, finances might be healthy, facilities appear sufficient and staff are content. Underneath the veneer however there may be a high level of dissatisfaction – and reason for concern! What strategies do you use when coaching pastors of mid-sized churches? 

6 Strategies for Landing New Clients

You are poised and ready to help people and you are getting a lot of interest in coaching. Now you need to turn those potential clients into contracted clients.

Coaching the Small Church Pastor

There are wonderful things about working with small congregations, but just as with any church, there are potential pit-falls to be aware of from the perspective of a coach.

6 Ways You Can Upgrade Your Coaching Questions

You don’t just want to get your clients talking, you want the conversation to get deep, meaningful, and actionable. Upgrade your coaching questions from good to powerful.

5 Challenges Every House Church Faces

House Churches are becoming more common. Are you ready to coach their leadership toward effective ministry?

When church planters need coaching the most

No one likes feeling stuck. Coaching church planters when they are at critical sticking points helps them move forward with clarity and confidence. 

How to reboot your church board

If you feel like your board is tying your hands from moving forward effectively in ministry—or if your board members feel like you are tying their hands—there’s need for a reboot.

The best investment you can make in your church

It’s not a building or hiring additional staff members. And it’s not coming up with a new program. The best investment you can make in your church is to help develop the innate leadership skills in the people who are already there.

Slow Your Roll and Establish Disciple Making DNA

One of the pitfalls of launching small groups after the corporate gathering is established is that the DNA of disciple making can become secondary rather than primary.  This is a common problem when coaching church planters who, in their compulsion to “go public”, have found themselves relaunching two years later.  You as the church planter coach have influence in this decision.